The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-06-21
POTATO CULTURE.
The Soil and Climate Best Suited to the
Growth OF Mealy Tubers.

profitable production OF common pota-
toes. 1t is true that they can be raised
in every State and Territory, but in
several of them the yield is ordinarily
small and the quality poor. The larg-
est crops are raised in the northwestern
portion of Maine and the smallest i'm
the southwestern portion of Texas. Good
potatoes are produced in all the States
and most of the Territories that border
on Canada. I'm all of them. when the
facilities for transportation are good.
potatoes constitute a paving crop To
raise for the market. In AroOStook
County. Maine, five hundred bushels
of potatoes are not unfrequently raised
on an acre of ground. Their quality is
so excellent that they bring high
price in the market. Beaver Island,
situated near the north end of Lake
Michigan. furnishes the finest late po-
tator> that come Ia this market. In
high northern latitudeS ii i practicable
to plant potatoes i'll the fall and tn dig
them in a year from the following
spring. On the islands in the great
lakes SHOW generally falls To comsid-
cradle depth before the soil is frozen.
and it protects from injury the pota-
toes that are i'm the ground.
Excellent early potatoes are raised i'm
Nearly all the Southern States. 1t Is
very difficult, however. To keep them
any considerable length of time. If
planted in early spring. they mature in
midsummer. If they are dug at that
time. they soon wither If they are
allowed to remain in the ground. they
sprout, or "take a second growth,
which ruins them for eating
purposes. I'm some cases latc
crop "t potatoes can be raised in
the South but its success Will depend
om the season. Localities liable la -
we're and long-continurd drou@ht> are
very nfavorahlc 10 raising good crops
of potatoes. A moist climate and Il
temperature nearly even throughout
the growing season are favorable To
POTATOES. \ continuous gro, = from
the time the tuberS Sp-uut till the new
ones are of full size l. what i wanted.
This is insured lay moisture and an
even temperature. An arrest of growth
caused by lack of moisture or an eN-
cess of heat Injuries tie quality and
lessons the yield of potatoes. The
quicker a crop of potatoes i raised the
better will the quality he likely To be
and the larger the yield The largest
crop, of potatoes are raised when the
growing season Is quite SHORT or when
the climate l. cool and moist from the
time of planting Ia that of harvesting.
For producing crop for the market
late varieties of potatoes are generally
more profitable than early ones. Not
many wears ago. early potatoes raised
~ the North brought good prices. But
gDch /. not ROw the ease. Every city
market ! supplied with potatoes raised
in the South long before those raised
here are in a condition 10 die. Early
potatoes have ceased To rank a. luxu-
rieS several weeks before any raised in
the North are 1T a size la harvest. and
their price has fallen. Early potatoes
can not be depended OH To keep in good
condition during the winter. and they
are not wanted in the spring except for
planting. Potatoes that ripcm i'm Octo-
Der, if properly taken care of during
the winter. will be i'm excellent condi-
ton in the spring. They can then be
sent to market, and will ordinarily
bring good prices. Every farmer
should raise some early potatoes for hi,
own use, and he may find il profitable
10 raise some To sell i'm towns not sup
piled with those produced in the South.
The main crop, however. should lee of
the late varieties. which ale a. a rule
much the most productive. The varic-
ties that give the largest yield are those
that continue 10 produce tubcrs till
quite late in the summer.
Observations in most parts of the
country show that what i called new
land that which has not been
cropped many yearS-iS best for pro-
ducing potatoes. They require consid-
VI slbaf l'Ftst~4i. III " lilA'll OH SOILS are
likely Ia be deficient. 4 stiff clay soil
is not suitable for producing potatoes.
though it may contain much potash.
1t Is likely To be too compact To allow
the tubers to freely expand in it. 1t
becomes very hard in dry time and
sticky in the fall when the potatoes are
dug. Sandy soils, if well fortified,
are good for producing early potatoes.
but large crops of late potatoes can not
generally be raised on them if the sea-
son is dry. The quality of potatoes is
likely to be Influenced by the character
of the soil in which they grow. Dry.
mealy potatoes of sweet. nutty flavor
are not produced on moist land or on
that on which rank manure has been
applied. They are only raised on soil
nuite rich in potaSh and lime and which